


Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

by Rebekah_Zellers



Category: NCIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-15 17:13:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16067636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebekah_Zellers/pseuds/Rebekah_Zellers
Summary: Tony's gut puts him in the wrong place at a very wrong time. Will he survive? How are lives changed? Whose life is changed?I do not like writing case fics, I am not a cop and do not pretend that I have any clue as to proper protocol.





	1. Chapter 1

Note: I have studied, thanks to google, the NCIS buildings trying to figure out exactly how to make this story work. What I discovered was that actual NCIS, looking nothing like CBS NCIS. That being said, in my fictional world of NCIS, it has a large parking deck for the agents and staff to park while the motor pool is not under the roof. *I’m taking you there in my mind* LOL Whoa! Channeling your inner Abby can be exhausting, so now… on with the story

Note: This is based on a request by my buddy, Tammy. Here you go, sweet lady! Go Edwards! (We’re Nascar fans!)

Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, a sixteen-year veteran of NCIS, sat at his desk working on a cold case that had his gut churning. The case was ten years old, not a file that had crossed his desk in at least four years. Cold cases were a shared responsibility of all agents within NCIS when their team was not on an active case.

“Agent DiNozzo?” Charlie called out as he moved through the squad room collecting the trash. “I haven’t seen you here this late in months. Everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” Tony gave a one shoulder shrug as he continued looking through the file. “Something,” Tony sighed. “Really don’t know, Charlie. Can’t find anything, but it’s nibbling at my gut and won’t let go.”

“Why don’t you go get something to drink,” Charlie suggested. “I’ll run the sweeper behind your desk while you are gone. Take a break from it; maybe you just need to step away.”

“Maybe you are right,” Tony locked the file in his desk while he grabbed his weapon and headed for the nearest vending machine. Looking around NCIS, nothing seemed out of place or in a state that wasn’t standard operating procedure, it was ship shape and running status quo. Was it though? Was it really the case that was bothering Tony or did something else have his gut churning.

Pacing the break room got him nowhere; instead it just irritated him. Vance’s perch gave him nothing. He had hoped that NCIS looked different from up above, but it gave him nothing. He looked over each desk; his mind wandering to everything that he had witnessed in the last few days but nothing was jumping out at him.

The door to Vance’s office was locked; he knew it would be but something in his mind sent him in that direction, wanting to see if just being there was enough to push a memory, but again, there was nothing; not a single thing to tell him what was keeping him on edge.

“You know,” Kate’s voice penetrated his brain. “Maybe you are restless because you haven’t slept, Tony. Why don’t you go down to Ducky’s office and sleep on his sofa for a while? It may help; it surely can’t hurt.”

“You give pretty good advice for a dead woman, Kate.” Tony snorted with laughter. “I’m talking to a ghost. Maybe I need to skip the nap and go on vacation.”

Ducky’s office provided a bit of warmth; it was homey and inviting. Pictures adorned the walls; the sofa was comfortable and had a warm blanket that covered the back of it. Snuggling in, Tony tried to relax enough to sleep. Dozing lightly, DiNozzo managed very little rest; his mind was still spinning even in his sleep.

“Tony?” Gibbs gently shook his agent. “You okay, DiNozzo?”

“Boss?” Tony scrubbed at his face. “Oh God, what time is it?”

“It’s 6:30,” Gibbs handed his agent a cup of coffee. “Saw your car in the parking garage; you want to tell me why you are sleeping on Ducky’s couch?”

“My gut,” Tony sighed as he stretched. “There is something about the old Jenkin’s case. I was sound asleep and it woke me up. I mean open your eyes, wide awake up. I have looked through it three times; I don’t know what it is that’s got me bothered. Before I came in last night; I haven’t picked up that file in four years. It’s been on rotation; not back with us. I pulled it off of Agent Wright’s desk.”

“Where’s the file?” Gibbs questioned as he took a hard look at his agent.

“My desk,” Tony handed over the key to his desk drawer. “I’m going to take a shower and get some breakfast. You want something?”

“Call me when you are ready to go eat,” Gibbs headed towards the door. “I’ll buy.”

Gibbs reads through the Jenkin’s file while Tony showered and changed. He had to agree with DiNozzo something just wasn’t right about the case, but the big picture was clouded. Jansen had died in an explosion outside the courthouse seven years ago. A car bomb, it was definitely a car bomb but nothing that matched any pattern in any database. Jansen was a well-liked mail clerk Naval Hospital. The man literally had no enemies that anyone could come up with. The day he was killed, he was attending the adoption ceremony for his best friend.

“What are we missing?” Gibbs growled as he stood, taking the file with him. He needed coffee; it was going to be a long day. He knew Tony wouldn’t rest until they figured out the piece of the puzzle that was bothering both of them, now.

“Boss?” Tony called to Gibbs. “You find something?”

“No,” Gibbs shook his head. “My gut is churning like yours now, though. I’ll have Cynthia make a couple of copies this so we can both work it. Go get us some breakfast, I’ll get us both a couple cups of coffee.” Handing Tony money, Gibbs had to shake the memory of handing Kelly lunch money out of his brain.

“Gibbs,” Vance nodded as he walked towards his office. “You’re having Cynthia make your copies? May I ask why?”

“The Jansen case,” Gibbs pointed towards the folder in Cynthia’s hand. “Something about it has DiNozzo’s gut churning. Started looking at it myself; mine is too. Can’t pinpoint why; we’re both going to look through it today.”

“Make me a copy too,” Vance directed Cynthia before turning to Gibbs. “A third set won’t hurt; that case has bothered me too. I have played it over and over in my head at times. Jansen didn’t seem to have any enemies.”

“Everyone we spoke with said he was a genuinely nice guy,” Gibbs looked at the folder in his hand. “Still, he’s dead and we’re stuck; been stuck. He deserves some justice.”

“Put Bishop and McGee on it too,” Vance paused. “I’ll pull you from active to work this for a couple days; DiNozzo’s gut is as reliable as yours, Gibbs. Run with it.”

Gibbs had been very generous with the breakfast budget, leaving Tony wondering exactly what was going on with the Senior agent. Time had proven that Gibbs was less than supportive; seemingly short tempered with Tony ever since he had been shot.

“Special Agent DiNozzo,” a female voice called across the parking garage. “Stop right where you are.”

Turning slowly, Tony’s face splits into a smile. “Hello Delores,” Tony took her hand in his own and gave it a kiss. “It’s always good to see you. You’re here early today. Everything okay?”

“I wanted to try to catch you,” Delores stopped for a moment a bit unsure how to proceed. “I was wondering if you were available to have dinner soon. We haven’t had a chance to catch up in some time; I was...”

“Missing me?” Tony beamed. “I hope you were because I was missing you very much. I would love to have dinner with you. You just name, the date and I will take you for the best burger and onion rings in town followed by a banana split served on a double chocolate fudge brownie.”

“Man,” Palmer held his stomach. “You are making me hungry! I may have to stalk you on your date night. You are one lucky stomach; I mean lady.”

The trio laughed only to turn to screams as the earth rumbled and the walls of the parking garage came crashing down.

“Director!” Cynthia yelled as she ran to where he was speaking with Gibbs. “There was an explosion; the parking garage just collapsed.”

“Tony!” Gibbs turned and ran for the elevator. “Talk to me, McGee! What do we know?”

“Nothing yet,” Tim reported as he grabbed his gear and started for the elevator. “We’re all heading to the scene. Fire and rescue is on the way. I’ll call Tony on my down there; have him meet us there.”  
“DiNozzo may already be there,” Gibbs looked out over the devastation. “He should have been on his way back.”

“He’s already there?” Tim turned to his boss confused. “Tony’s in the parking garage? He was in the parking garage when it collapsed.”

“It’s possible,” Gibbs nodded. “He went for breakfast.”

“Oh God,” McGee picked up the pace. “Special Agent DiNozzo may be in the garage.” Tim’s voice echoed through the squad room alerting his fellow agents. Agents filed in to follow Tim, their gear on their shoulders.

“I should call his father,” Gibbs whispered as he watched the scene below.

“Wait until we know something,” Vance came down the stairs. Placing a supportive hand on Jethro’s shoulder, the head of the agency steered Gibbs towards the elevator. “We need to be in MTAC. I need to brief SecNav; get Morrow to send Homeland over here.”

Delores was the first person to open her eyes, the weight of someone on top of her almost too much. Pushing with all her might, she was able to wiggle out from under Tony’s unconscious body. “Oh Tony.” A shaking hand reached for Tony’s neck, terrified of what she might not find.


	2. Chapter 2

Delores sobbed as she felt Tony’s strong pulse beating beneath her fingertips; she couldn’t imagine her life without this man in it. Gently, she checked him over for any signs of obvious injuries. “You stupid, stupid man. Why did you do that?”

 

“Delores?” Tony’s voice cracked as he called to her. “Are you hurt?”

 

“No,” Delores wiped at the tears. “You saved my life, Tony.”

 

“Palmer?” Groaning loudly, Tony sat up and started to scan the rubble for his friend. “Palmer?” Damn it, Tony thought to himself. He had to find his younger friend; the man had a precious child waiting for him at home. If there was anyone watching over them today; he prayed they had concentrated on keeping Jimmy safe.

 

“Tony?” Palmer’s voice called through the debris. “I’m over here.”

 

Tony moved quickly trying to find exactly where Palmer was with Delores at his side. They scanned the area soon finding the red sneaker, that he so loved, sticking out from under a pile of loose rocks and boards. Working together, the duo cleared the way to get Palmer free. “You hurt?”

 

“No,” Palmer shook his head as he adjusted his glasses. “Covered my face and head when I landed after you pushed me. Got some bumps and bruises; nothing feels broken. How are we going to get out of here?”

 

“First,” Tony looked around. “We need to make sure there is nobody else alive and trapped down here. “Stick together, move slowly. We don’t know what brought this down to begin with so let’s try to stay as stealthily as we can.”

 

“Is there a rule about this?” Palmer questioned as they started to snake their way through the level they were on. “Gibbs has a rule for everything else; there has to be a rule about this.”

 

“No rules,” Tony pointed to the right. “I am sure once we get out of here; there will be a rule.”

 

“Did you hear that?” Delores put a hand on Tony’s arm. “I thought I heard a voice; a woman’s voice.”

 

Working their way through the debris, the trio searched any place they could see. “Who else parks on this side?” Palmer questioned. “I didn’t think very many of us did; it’s closer to autopsy than it is the main security gate.”

 

“My team,” Tony said softly. “You, Ducky, Delores, Secretary Porter does when she’s here. I think security parks over here, along with the trainees. They call it character building.”

 

“Where does Secretary Porter park?” Delores started looking around the garage.

 

“Closer to the elevator,” Tony turned and pointed in the direction that they needed to head. “You are thinking the female voice you heard was Secretary Porter?”

 

“Besides myself and Agent Bishop, she’s the only other female that parks over here. We need to find her; just in case she’s hurt.” Moving behind Tony, a thought struck the older woman causing her to stop her friend. “Tony, what if she was the target. What if we are putting our lives in further danger by looking for her?”

 

“Good point,” Tony moved across the debris field finding a spot for Palmer and Delores to wait. “Clear a spot, but be careful; we don’t want to bring down the house. I’m going to go see if the SecNav’s car is here. I’ll be back; just stay low. Here’s my gun, Palmer. Don’t fire unless you have to.”

 

“Tony?” Palmer called to his friend. “If you go that way, you don’t have to bend over to get through. This part of the parking structure isn’t part of the original design; it’s part of the NCIS building. Sorry, go around that way it doesn’t seem to have sustained the damage that the parking deck did.”

 

Walking in the direction that Palmer pointed out, Tony eased himself along the wall taking in the debris pattern. The blast seemed to have come from the center of the garage where security parked. It was strong enough to take down a few of the support pillars and collapse the ceiling of the deck. “It’s familiar,” Tony studied it for a moment longer before clearing his head and returning to his mission.

 

“Madame Secretary?” Tony called softly; he didn’t want to startle the woman if she was indeed in the car. Finding her on the ground beside the vehicle, Tony reached to check a pulse. “Okay, you’re alive. How badly are you hurt? I see a cut to the head; obvious concussion. I don’t see any other blood, which could be both good and bad. Why didn’t I minor in medicine instead of music?” Gently, Tony felt for broken bones, relieved not to find any. “I’m going to go get Palmer; I’ll be right back.” Unclipping his badge from his belt, Tony placed it in SecNav’s hand. If she woke up, he wanted her to know that someone was going to be right back.”

 

“You find her?” Palmer questioned when Tony reappeared.

 

“I did,’ Tony nodded. “She’s unconscious, but alive. I need you to look at her; see if we can move her.” Looking around, Tony saw a cart on wheels not far from where he was standing. “Listen, I want you to make your way around to her. I will be over there in a little while. That part of the garage appears to be stable so we’re moving around to there. I’m going to take that cart and go on a scavenger hunt.”

 

“What are you going to do?” Delores questioned as she shivered. “You can’t go out there; this whole thing could come down on your head.”

 

“I’ll be careful,” Tony promised with a smile as he wiped away a tear that slid down the side of Delores' face. “Go with Palmer, I want you safe. I promise, I am coming back.”

 

“My car,” Palmer motioned. “Is by yours; I have a my medical bag and first aid kit in there. I have a few blankets in the trunk too. Dr. Mallard has the same thing.”

 

“Gibbs has sleeping bags,” Tony smiled. “So do I; we started carrying sleeping bags after that blizzard we were in that left us stuck in the guard house for two days. I have a few ideas; I’ll take the cart so I can bring as much as I can with me.”

 

“Let me come with you,” Palmer bargained. “We’ll get it faster that way. Delores can go sit with SecNav just to make sure she knows we’re here.”

 

“Left her my badge,” Tony looked across the parking garage at the mess. It would be easier with Palmer but he didn’t want to risk his friend’s life. “Okay, you’re with me. Delores, I want you to go to SecNav. Don’t let her move until we get back. Stay low, if anyone comes near you that you don’t know, I want you to keep my knife handy.”

 

Tony and Palmer carefully moved from car to car collecting tools, blankets, floor mats and anything they could find to eat or drink. “Found flashlights in Gibbs’ car,” Palmer called as he started pulling out everything he could find. “I’m going to go empty this cart; keep piling stuff up I’ll get it.”

 

“Explosives,” Tony carefully looked at the remains of the car that had obviously exploded, flashes of the Jansen case running through his head. Part of a plate was visible along with a partial on the VIN. “Gibbs really needs a rule about back up cameras. McGee’s car is right over there.” Crawling across the floor, Tony quickly got inside Tim’s now crushed car. It was a survivalist dream! “Love the boy scouts, McRanger.”

 

Tony pulled a crime scene kit from Tim's car; quickly making his way back to the scene of the explosion. He worked to bag and tag, take pictures and make some notes while instructing Palmer to finish going through the cars. "Okay, Tony, you have to think. You've seen this before; where did you see it?"

 

"This is familiar to you?" Palmer questioned as he took the camera from his friend. "Let's get out of here; I think we need to go check on Secretary Porter and figure out what we are going to do. It's going to get cold, Tony. I heard a blizzard warning earlier; need some shelter out of the wind. We can't risk your lungs or exposing anyone to the elements."

 

"Good point," Tony nodded. "You check on SecNav; I will work on finding something or someplace to use as shelter. We need something that is going to block out the wind; if we're supposed to get a blizzard there will be wind. Keep an eye open for our cell phones too; we need a way to communicate."

 

"Tony?" Palmer paused; fear striking suddenly. "They are looking for us, right?"

 

"Gibbs is looking for us," Tony nodded. "I will meet you by SecNav. We really need a shelter; got to prioritize a bit."

 

"Tony?" Delores called out as she saw that he was trying to move in a different direction than Palmer. "SecNav is asking for you."

 

"Ma'am?" Tony moved to her side as gently as possible. "Jimmy is going to look you over a bit; I want to make sure it is safe to move you. I have to find us a place out of the wind before the snow gets here. I'll be back, I promise."

 

"My phone," Porter pointed under her car. "Can't reach it. See if it is working; call Gibbs."

 

"I've got it," Tony slithered as far under the vehicle as he could. "Got it!" Handing the device to the injured woman, Tony waited for her to unlock it before taking it from her to make a call. Gibbs answered on the first ring; his gut churning hard. "Boss, listen to me. We’re on the west side of the parking garage. It was a bomb, Boss. Recognized the signature just can't place it right now. Palmer and Delores are with me; SecNav is too, Gibbs."

 

"Tony," Gibbs tried to stay calm. "Can you find shelter? Rescue is here, but there is a lot of damage. It may take hours to get to you." Looking at the demolished structure; Gibbs gut was churning hard. "There is no way this is just one bomb, Tony."

 

"Figured as much, Boss." Tony watched the SecNav's face as Palmer hit a painful spot. "Boss, I am going to find us shelter and then look for our phones. I need to get Secretary Porter and Delores somewhere away from the wind; going to go look for something stable.”

 

"The original section of the garage, Tony." Gibbs tried to remember anything he could that was important to help his agent survive. "DiNozzo," Gibbs didn't want to hang up; his only connection with Tony was the phone. "Watch yourself; we're going to get you out." Gibbs was met with dead air; Tony had disconnected the call. Part of Gibbs was filled with pride as his agent took charge of keeping everyone safe; the other part was filled with terror.

 

Tony searched the structure; his main concerns included another bomb as well as the instability of the debris. A door caught Tony’s eye; he had seen Vance disappear behind the door in question from time to time. Picking the lock, took a look around. The room was sparsely furnished but had a bathroom and was out of the elements and would hide them from danger.

 

“Delores,” Tony called as he made his way back to where they were trying to keep the elements off of their injured leader. “Let’s get that cart into that room; take it to the far back corner and unload it. We have more things just on the other side of that wall that we will need. Can you do that for me?”

 

“I can,” Delores set off in the direction of the room that Tony had found.

 

“We can move her,” Palmer said softly. “Once we get settled, I want to butterfly that cut closed. We need to get her warmed up a little bit.”

 

“Go help Delores,” Tony motioned towards the room. “Madame Secretary and I will be joining you shortly.” Waiting for Palmer to disappear out of sight, Tony turned back towards SecNav. “They know it was a bombing, ma'am. What we don’t know is how many bombs. The room that I found is sturdy; it is separate from the actual garage itself. However, once we are inside, I want to secure the door and see what I can do about blocking us from view.”

 

“We use that room for undercover briefings,” Porter grimaced in pain. “Vance uses it so it’s secure enough for us to take shelter. We’ll need to cover our tracks,” SecNav nodded. “I’ll help you figure something out. I could use a hand up, Agent DiNozzo.”

 

“I’m going to do better than that,” Tony smiled as he moved closer. “If I hurt you, let me know. Put your arms around my neck, I will carry you. You’re going to be hurting from being on the cold concrete for so long. Just hold on and take some deep breaths; I won’t let you fall.”

 

SecNav gasped in pain as Tony lifted her. Turning so that she was hidden from the eyes of the others, Tony whispered softly to the woman of authority. Gentle reminders for her to breathe, to just relax against him and allow him to do the work were enough to soothe her until he got her inside the room.

 

“Over there Tony,” Palmer pointed to the far corner. “We put down car mats to keep her off the cold floor, the camping mats from Tim’s car will cushion the floor and the sleeping bag will help warm her up. We have more blankets, but I want to get everyone settled quickly.”

 

“Get the ladies settled,” Tony grabbed the crowbar and his gun; heading out into the parking garage. DiNozzo was alert as he moved through the garage trying to surmise if there was any danger to himself or his companions all the while looking for the flashing light of his cell phone.

 

“What did you do?” Delores gasped as he handed the recovered cell phone to her.

 

“We are going to need to conserve cell battery,” Tony looked around the small room. “Where’s Palmer?”

 

“Took the cart other crowbar,” SecNav pointed towards the door. “Went to empty the vending machines by the elevators. He knows you are going to block us in this room; he wants to make sure we have what we need to get through this.”

 

“We may be here for a while,” Tony nodded. “Gibbs said that we are in a mess; the parking structure sustained a great deal of damage.” Turning with his gun poised to take action, Tony was relieved to find Palmer coming back through with the cart.

 

"Put it back like I found it," Palmer handed over the crowbar. "I tried looking around a bit; I don't see anything."

 

“Who would do this?” SecNav rubbed at her head. “You said it was familiar; have you figured it out yet?”

 

“No,” Tony turned to look at SecNav. “Don’t worry about this right now; you warm up a bit and rest. I’m going to get this door secured and start organizing our little party here.” Tucking an extra blanket around Secretary Porter, Tony squeezed her hand.

 

“Need to talk it through?” Palmer questioned as he helped Tony secure the door. “It’s helped before.”

 

“Don’t know, Jimmy.” Tony sighed. “It’s not making sense right now.”

 

Back at NCIS, Gibbs and Vance stand in the Director’s office looking out at the debris. “This wasn’t something random, Gibbs.”

 

“I agree,” Moving towards the balcony, one thing rang in Jethro’s head. “Rule Thirty-five.” He stood watching as the agents buzzed around, making his way to the elevators, Gibbs turned back to Vance. “We need a secure area to work this case, Leon.”

 

“My office,” Vance narrowed his eyes at Gibbs as he watched him walk to the railing. “McGee, Bishop, Burley, Fornell, Teague, Dr. Mallard, Abby, Ms. Fielding.” Turning towards Gibbs, Leon was met with a smirk. “I pick the team you want?”

 

“It’s a start.” Gibbs stood watching and waiting as everyone made their way to Vance’s office. “Rule Thirty-Five.”

 

“Boss?” McGee moved to stand just within hearing range. “About Rule thirty-five, I have something you should see.”


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs followed McGee into Vance’s office. Together, they watched video footage from across the street of the parking structure. “Watch this man right here; he seems to be timing something. Wait for it, twenty seconds after the explosion, he is happy.”

 

“Is he actually skipping?” Vance scrutinized the video. “Can we get an identification on this individual? Is there anything familiar about them?”

 

“Not that I am seeing,” Gibbs played the video back again. “Where does he go? Can we get the other cameras up and see if he moves to another location?”

 

“If this individual is finding some euphoria from this; we may have more bombs.” Vance picked up the phone to alert Homeland and the FBI as to the situation.

 

“Gibbs!” Ellie burst through the door. “Rescue has been able to get twenty people out; we have injured but no fatalities. They are asking for plans for the building; they need to find another route to get to Tony.”

 

“I have them,” Vance took off with Bishop to hand over the plans, leaving Gibbs and McGee to trace their suspect. 

 

“Where is the file on Jansen?” Gibbs turned to look at Vance’s desk. “Do we have anyone at NCIS now that we interviewed then? Start running names Tim; this case had Tony’s gut churning now he’s down there fighting for his life along with Palmer, Delores and Secretary Porter.”

 

Tony worked to secure the room so that he could keep everyone safe. “Sit down,” Palmer motioned to a chair that was off to the side. You were knocked out; I want to look at you.”

 

“We don’t have time for that,” Tony growled. “Do you hear that? It’s a beeping.”

 

“I don’t hear anything.” Secretary Porter and Delores stated in unison.

 

“Palmer, get the ladies in the bathroom and close the door. Protect their heads; I’m just going to get rid of our bomb here. Someone was very clever or so they thought.” Tony carefully picked up the bomb while Palmer followed directions to get the ladies to safety. The time was winding down quickly as Tony pulled open the door and ran from the security of the room. The explosion rocked the structure causing more of it to cave in.

 

“Oh God,” Delores buried her head in Jimmy’s neck while SecNav wiped at a tear that fell. Another explosion rocked the garage causing all three to scream in fear. “What is going on?” Delores whimpered as a third and final explosion rocked the earth beneath them.

“We’re okay,” Palmer hugged Delores close before leading her to sit on the floor in the corner. “I need to check on Secretary Porter; stay right here.” Palmer moved to the SecNav’s side, the woman that usually showed no emotion was trembling. “Let’s get you over here; I want you to sit down.”

 

“Agent DiNozzo,” SecNav pointed towards the door as tears started to stream down her face. “He’s gone, for us.”

 

“If, Tony has died,” Palmer’s voice cracked. “He died a hero; he gave his life for his friend and to protect the Secretary of the Navy. If he could see this moment; he’d be proud that this is how it ended. We’re going to stay in here for a little while; make sure there isn’t another bomb.”

 

“We need to go look for him,” SecNav moved towards the door. “I can’t stand by not knowing if he’s out there hurt. What if he needs help and he dies because we didn’t try?”

 

“What if we try and something happens that we get killed,” Palmer watched the emotions flash in Secretary Porter’s eyes.

 

“I can’t stay in here not knowing,” Delores pushed past both of them. She still had Tony’s knife from earlier in her pocket. Grabbing a first aid kit, she opened the door only to find total devastation. “You two stay here; I’m going to go looking. I can yell if I find anything.”

“Delores,” Palmer pulled the woman back into the room. Taking the first aid kit and knife, Palmer took a stand. “I’ll go. You do me a favor; I want you to get a bottle of water into Secretary Porter. She needs to rest, she sustained some injuries in that blast. I want you both to stay warm. You can make a bed for Tony, in case I find him. Get some things ready, just in case.”

 

“Keep busy,” Delores nodded. “Got it.”

 

“I want to help,” SecNav spoke up before Delores could get her tucked in. “Please, he’s risked his life to save mine too.”

 

“Let’s move those car mats so he doesn’t have to be on the cold floor, we’ll put one of Timothy’s camping mats on top of them and the extra sleeping bag. I think we should put him in the middle here; give Jimmy room to work if he needs it, but not too close to that door.”

 

“We should get something over the window in that door,” SecNav pointed. “I’ll look for something after we get the bed ready.”

 

Working together, the two women made a place for Tony while silently praying Palmer found him, alive. They organized the room, covered the window and had everything ready to block out under the door. They searched the room high and low to make sure there were no more surprise. 

 

“Do you hear something?” Delores stopped to listen. “Phone, where is your phone?”

 

Picking up her phone, SecNav found several text messages coming from Vance for an update. Updating him as quickly as possible, needing to save her battery, SecNav turned off her phone so they would still have a means to communicate as time went on. “They can turn that back on if they need to contact us.” SecNav explained. “I have read that in a lot of the reports that come across my desk.”

 

“Open the door!” Palmer yelled. Pulling Tony into the room, together they managed to get him on the bed. “Find me that first aid kit; he’s breathing, but I can’t get him to wake up.”

 

“Your medical bag is here,” SecNav handed it over. “Can I help?”

 

“You can,” Palmer nodded. “Let me look him over, I will let you know what I need. Right now, I think a few prayers wouldn’t hurt.” Palmer started cutting away Tony’s clothes; he needed to assess him without anything in the way. He was taking no chances. “Can you look in the bags we took out of the cars, see if we have anything to work with to keep him warm?”

 

SecNav immediately started rummaging through bags while Delores stood almost too stunned to move, watching every move that Jimmy made. “Delores,” SecNav called to her. “Come help me look for something for Agent DiNozzo to wear when Jimmy is done.”

 

“How is he?” Delores was crying openly now; she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. She loved Tony; he was such a good friend. He pulled her out of the darkness just as it was about to swallow her whole.

 

“His pulse is strong, breathing is regular. I don’t hear anything in his lungs right now; that could change.” Palmer took in all the bruising. “He’s going to be hurting; I mean really hurting. Look how bruised, he is.”

 

“Tell me, I still have a pretty face,” Tony groaned. 

 

“Stay still,” Palmer tried to keep Tony calm.

 

“You need to lock us in here, Palmer.” Tony moved to sit up only to gag as a wave of nausea hit. “Gibbs will find us, but we can’t afford anyone else finding us. I don’t think they can get through.”

 

“I barely got us through,” Palmer whispered. “Nobody is coming in but we’ll secure it just to be safe. You found three more bombs?”

 

“Six,” Tony whispered. “Went off in three different blasts, two at a time.”

 

Palmer secured the room while the women looked for something to keep Tony warm. Finding a jacket, sweat pants and socks, they moved to help Palmer get him warm. 

 

“What if we lay close to him?” Delores asked. “Maybe not touch him; don’t want to hurt him.”

 

“I’d like that,” Tony whispered as he licked his lips. “Can I get a drink? All that dust; it’s all I can taste.”

 

“Small sips,” Palmer instructed as he took the water bottle from Delores. 

 

Secretary Porter returned with a bowl filled with warm water and a clean shirt from the pile. Gently, she took the time to clean the various cuts on Tony’s body before Palmer bandaged them. “Agent DiNozzo, I don’t know if I will ever be able to thank you for all you have done.”

 

“Ma’am,” Tony winced in pain as she touched a painful cut. “It is an honor,” pausing to catch his breath, Tony flashed a look of panic at Jimmy. “Gremlin, it’s hurting to breathe.”

 

“Let me look,” Palmer flew into doctor mode; if Ducky could have seen him in that moment, he would have been so proud. “Tony, I want you to listen to me. You have some air collecting in your chest and it’s compressing your lung. I need to release it.” The look of panic on Tony’s face almost broke Palmer’s concentration, but the quick thinking of Secretary Porter.

 

“Agent DiNozzo,” Secretary Porter took his face in her hands. “Listen to me, we’re all getting out of here together. You are going to be just fine; Jimmy is going to fix it. You just need to trust him; if he doesn’t do it right, I will have him shot.”

 

“Has a baby,” Tony whispered. “She’s beautiful.”

 

“Okay, I will have Gibbs arrest him.” SecNav winked when she got a smile out of the injured man. “We’re not going anywhere; you hold my hand. You won’t hurt me, Tony. I am stronger than I look.”

 

“You’re very strong,” Tony’s eyes started to close as the pain washed over him. “Admire your strength.”

 

“Listen to me, Tony. This is going to hurt like hell; it’s okay to scream. You won’t scare any of us. I’ve got you, Tony. Just like Gibbs, I’ve got your six.” Palmer kept talking as he made the incision; his voice carrying over the outcry of pain that came from his best friend. “I am almost done; just need to get this IV tubing in there. We need to get the air out.” There was a popping sound that echoed right before the sound of Tony being able to take a big breath. “Good!” Palmer started packing gauze around the chest tube. 

 

“Can he sleep now?” Delores wiped the tears from her face as she knelt down by Tony.

 

“Sleep is the best thing for him,” Palmer nodded. “Let’s find anything we can use to keep him warm. I’m going to wash my hands while you look.”

 

Kissing Tony on the lips, Delores then wiped the tears from his face. “Let’s get your face washed up; you need to be handsome as ever when we are saved.”

 

“I want some of your brownies,” Tony whispered as his friend wiped his face clean. “Some of your chicken and rice too.”

 

“When we get out of here and you are home; we’re going to get together and have a feast fit for a king.” Delores was praying she’d be able to keep her promise.

 

“I sent Dr. Mallard a text so he could make sure the right medical personnel are standing by to get you out of here.” Jimmy leaned over his friend’s face and gently kissed his forehead. “I hated hurting you, Tony. If it wasn’t to save your life...”

 

“I know,” Tony whispered. “Can you guys?” Paused for a moment, “would you lay with me?”

 

“We will,” Palmer smiled. “Let me figure out the best way to do this; I think we can share blankets, get you warmed up. If you need anything, you tell me.”

 

***At NCIS***

 

“Jethro!” Ducky pounded the door to MTAC. An agent passing by took pity on him, having peeked at the text, and let him in. “Jethro, they are alive. I got a text from Jimmy. Tony’s hurt, terribly. He needed a chest tube; we need to get them out.”

 

“We’re working on it,” Gibbs growled. “Palmer say anything else?”

 

“Said they are held up in the meeting room, everything around them is collapsed.” Ducky was starting to shake. “He’s like a son, Jethro. They both are; we have to get them out.”

 

“We will,” Gibbs nodded. “Tim, get me the blue prints up on the big screen now.”

 

“What’s that?” Bishop pointed to what turned out to be the duct work. “We could get some supplies through there; I can go.”

 

“We’re both going,” Gibbs barked. “Duck, get me medical bags packed. Keep them so I can move them through the duct work.” Studying the schematics, Gibbs knew it was a tight fit. 

 

“Gibbs,” Vance suddenly reappeared from nowhere. “Can I have a word with you in private?” Walking out of MTAC, Gibbs followed Vance into his office. “Sit down.”

 

“Don’t try to talk me out of this,” Gibbs moved to stand only to have Leon push him back into the chair.

 

“We’re not probie agents any more, Gibbs.” Vance stooped down in front of his lead agent. “We both have some years on us; this might not be the smartest thing you have decided to do.” Pulling up the pant leg on Jethro’s left knee, Vance looked at the surgery scar before pulling a knee support from the pocket of his coat. “You watch yourself; you take it slow and steady.” Wrapping the knee, Leon pulled the pant leg back into place. “Get McGee to give you some type of an external battery for your phones. I want to make sure we can keep in contact.”

 

“You keep looking for the son of a bitch that did this,” Gibbs growled. “You keep Bishop and McGee; I will go in alone.” Moving towards the door, Gibbs turned to his boss. “Thank you, Leon.” Gibbs pointed to the knee before turning to leave.

 

“Gibbs,” Bishop took a deep breath. “I think it would be best if this is a solo mission.”

 

“I completely agree,” Gibbs nodded. “You stay here; I want you and McGee to find the son of a bitch in that video.” Turning towards Tim, Gibbs paused. “Can you turn on any of their phones?”

 

“I can turn on all of them,” McGee allowed his fingers to fly over the keyboard.

 

“You tell them that I am coming,” Gibbs pointed to the vent on the screen. “Warn them where I will be, tell them if they still have Tony’s knife to remove the vent cover.”

 

*******Back in parking garage*******

 

“What are you doing?” Tony questioned softly as Palmer took his knife.

 

“Gibbs is sending us some medical supplies for you; through that vent. I’m going to take the cover off.” Palmer looked around the room but the only thing tall enough was a desk on the opposite side. “Delores, SecNav? Do you think that you could lift that side?”

 

Moving to the desk, the woman worked together to pick up the opposite end. Carefully, they maneuvered around their patient and to the vent next to the closet. “If we pull it out a little bit, Gibbs could ease himself on top.” Secretary Porter said with a sigh as Palmer climbed down.

 

“How do you know he’s coming?” Delores looked at the crowded opening.

 

“Because Agent DiNozzo is hurt,” SecNav looked at Tony. “He may be a bastard but he cares. He’ll come.”

 

“Tell him to bring pizza,” Tony whispered before falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony faded in and out of consciousness; his condition was deteriorating by the minute. Palmer prayed to God that Gibbs would reach them in time with medications that could help his friend. The chest tube was painful, Tony needed something to dull the pain. The season agent had a high tolerance to pain; Jimmy knew he had to be in agony if it was causing such a decline in his health.

 

“How are we going to get Gibbs down without him hurting himself?” Delores looked at the vent and then the desk; it was a good nine to ten-foot drop for the older man. 

 

“I am hoping he has somewhere up there he can turn around and come at us feet first.” Palmer sighed. “If he can do that, I have a plan. If not, I sure hope he has one.” 

 

“Palmer?” Gibbs voice carried through the vent. “You got the cover off?”

 

“I do,” Jimmy said quickly. “Agent Gibbs, it’s going to be about a ten-foot drop to the floor. We moved a desk under the vent so I could get the cover off. If you can come towards me feet first; it would be the safest.”

 

“Take the supplies and I will get turned around,” Gibbs pushed several bags of medical supplies into the room. Working his way back in the direction he came, he had fourteen feet to crawl before he had room to turn around. As soon as he got to the opening, he was stunned to find an agent from another team bringing more supplies. “Thanks,” Gibbs nodded. “You standby on the radio; I will let you know if we need anything else.”

 

“I will, Agent Gibbs.” Moving towards the opening, the agent was determined to deliver the packs he was pushing along. “Keep going, sir, I will help lower you down so you don’t get hurt. If you break your neck, you won’t be of any help to Tony.”

 

Gibbs made it into the room just as Secretary Porter shouted. “Jimmy, something’s wrong!” Moving quickly across the room, Gibbs began to open the medical bags Ducky had provided. Palmer was as gentle as he could be looking his patient over; grabbing a bag, the young doctor found the medications that is mentor had sent. Pulling the painkillers from the bag, Palmer grabbed and syringe and prepared to inject.

 

The medication worked, but if you asked anyone in the room, it wasn’t fast enough. Secretary Porter’s face was red and wet with tears; her heart breaking for the man that had risked his life for all of them. “He’s much more comfortable now,” Palmer hung his head in relief. “Vitals are stabilizing a bit; we really need to get him out of here, Agent Gibbs.”

 

“They’re working on it,” Gibbs knelt by Tony’s side. He placed a hand gently on his agent’s forehead. “There is a lot of debris between here and out there.”

 

“What about coming at us from inside the building?” Secretary Porter looked at Gibbs, her eyes were dull with pain, exhaustion and fear. “This room is actually part of the NCIS building, It’s still standing because it’s reinforced to withstand a terrorist attack like this one.”

 

“Not a terrorist,” Tony whispered.

 

“Tony!” Gibbs gently started rubbing his thumb over his agent’s forehead. “Take it easy, they are working on getting us out of here.”

 

“Boss,” Tony paused, trying to sort his thoughts. “Jenkins case, you remember the other bomb that day? It was in the parking garage of the hospital.”

 

“You think that and the car bombing is related?” Gibbs helped Palmer put one of the extra blankets around Tony. “Sleep, DiNozzo. I will get Vance a message to check it out.”

 

“Gibbs?” Tony reached for the older man. “Why’d you come?”

 

“Because you needed me,” Gibbs watched as Tony thought about his words. “What’s going on in your head?”

 

“That,” Tony closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep before he was forced to continue. Sleep didn’t come, all that came was the feelings of hurt and anger. “I wish that I didn’t have to be dying for you to come. I really miss you, Boss.”

 

“How well do you know the layout of NCIS?” Gibbs questioned SecNav. “Do you know the secure ways in and out of the parking garage?”

 

“I only briefly studied the layout, I always have an agent with me. It never occurred to me I would need to memorize them.” Secretary Porter stood and started pacing in an effort to remember what she had seen.

 

“The original blueprints for this building would not have any secure doors or passages in it. Those are made public; we can’t risk that information getting out. Think Madame Secretary! You know the answers; you’ve seen the plans. THINK!” Gibbs was working himself up, helpless is not what Leroy Jethro Gibbs did.

 

“Easy,” Palmer jumped up from Tony’s side. Grabbing an extra blanket, he placed it around a trembling SecNav. “It’s okay, just take it easy. Come over here, sit on the desk. Maybe you will come up with something if you are resting.” Turning to Gibbs, Palmer gave him a look that would have leveled him if he had the common sense to be scared. “She’s injured, Agent Gibbs. That initial blast threw her out of her car and knocked her unconscious. You can get your point across without shouting.”

 

“Come sit down,” Gibbs helped SecNav up on the desk, tucking the blanket around her as he did. “Did you look her over?”

 

“I did,” Palmer nodded. “I need to check her blood pressure again; it’s been running a bit low. Go get her a bottle of water from the corner, she needs fluids.” Palmer gently checked the SecNav’s blood pressure before moving to give her a head to toe look over. “Just rest, we’re going to get out of here. Agent Gibbs goes into what Abby calls Papa bear mode; his cub is hurt and he’s trying to move heaven and hell to get him help.”

 

“How is she?” Gibbs tried to keep his voice calm as he handed over the water.

 

“Shook up,” Palmer moved to the side. “Help her with that, I am going to check on Tony.”

 

Taking a seat next to Secretary Porter, Gibbs uncapped the water and raised it to her lips for her to drink. “Come on,” Gibbs coached. “Palmer’s frightening when he is in doctor mode. I don’t want to waste bullets having to protect myself from him.”

 

“I offered to shoot him earlier,” SecNav laughed. “Poor guy is going to get a complex. Agent DiNozzo, Gibbs, I thought he was dead. He was out there when those last three explosions happened. We shouldn’t have to live in fear of this; this should not be happening.”

 

“Take it easy,” Gibbs pulled his boss to his side so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Try to sleep for a little bit; I will watch over them now. I’ll figure out how to get us out of here. There has to be another way out of this room in case something was to go bad.”

 

“Tony?” Palmer whispered softly. “I am going to change your bandages now that I have better supplies. You still feel the pain meds?”

 

“Kind of numb,” Tony whispered. “Got me good stuff?”

 

“He gave you very good stuff,” Palmer smiled. “If I hurt you; let me know. I don’t want you to hurt, Tony.”

 

“Promise me something?” Tony licked his lips as he rolled his head to look at Jimmy. “Don’t leave me alone; I don’t want to die alone.” Closing his eyes, Tony worked at keeping the tears away failing miserably. 

 

“You are not allowed to die,” Delores said softly as she put her hand on Tony’s forehead. “You and I have a date, remember? I am holding you to it! I was thinking that for your birthday this year we could go to a movie and dinner, my treat of course. I want you to take me dancing for my birthday.”

 

“You don’t like to dance,” Tony whispered. “Why dancing?”

 

“Maybe it’s time I let go a little,” Delores sighed. “I’m a spinster, Tony. I know that no man will ever look at me the way a man in love looks at a woman. You are the first man to ever give me the time of day. When I am with you, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. You make me feel special, Tony. I don’t think I have ever told you that or said thank you.”

 

“Don’t need to thank me,” Tony reached for Delores. “You are one of my best friends; to me you are beautiful.”

 

“Are you scared?” Delores pressed her friend as she moved to snuggle at his side. 

 

“Nah,” Tony smiled. “This is just another day at NCIS.” Closing his eyes to rest, Tony suddenly gasped. “Gibbs, Charlie.”

 

“Charlie?” Gibbs searched his mind, it was riddled with confusion. “The janitor? What about him?”

 

“The bombs were like the ones at the hospital except the first one; it was like the one in Jansen’s car. They were placed after the car bomb went off.” Tony struggled to sort his thoughts. “Charlie knew I was working on that file; he was in the bullpen when I took the file and started reading it.”

 

“He would also know how to get in and out of this building without being seen.” Gibbs pulled out his phone and turned it on. “Director, find Charlie, the janitor. Have Abby scan the parking garage footage for him; if that was him in that first set of video. He went in the direction to set those three blasts that happened forty minutes later. Have McGee go through the videos of the Jansen case and the hospital bombing that happened that day and look for him; Bishop can run his background see if she can find a connection. Leon, I need you to pull the detailed plans, there has to be another way out of his area of the building. You use this room to shuffle in some high profile dignitaries. How do you get them out of here unseen?”

 

“I don’t think I have ever heard Gibbs speak so much,” SecNav sat stunned. 

 

“Agent Gibbs?” Palmer sounded panicked. “He’s having a seizure!” Grabbing a blanket from the stack, Gibbs put the blanket under Tony’s head while Palmer monitored his pulse and length of seizure. “He hit his head; we need a CT to know what’s going on in there.”

 

“Come on, DiNozzo.” Gibbs growled. “Don’t do this to me, kid. Don’t do this to me, Tony.” There wasn’t much time to do anything but wish as Tony’s body finally relaxed. “How is he?”

 

“Not good,” Palmer started looking through the bags frantically. “Can we send him through the vent on a backboard? He needs a hospital, Agent Gibbs. He needs one now.”

 

“I barely made it,” Gibbs sighed. “No room for a stretcher in there.” Standing, Gibbs started running his hand over the walls. Knocking on the wall, looking for anything they could get through; they had to get out and waiting for Vance to find the answer was going to kill Tony.

 

“Gibbs,” SecNav eased herself off the table. “This room’s layout compared to any other room in NCIS, what’s out of whack? That closet right there doesn’t make sense. If this was done typically, it would be over there.”

 

“The wall isn’t load bearing; it was put in after the fact.” Looking around, Gibbs was praying to find something that he could use to break through the wall. 

 

“Tire irons,” SecNav pointed to the pile. “Better than nothing.”

 

The first swing at the wall left Gibbs sees stars, he was gasping for breath by the time he made a sizable hole. “Stop,” Palmer yelled out as Gibbs went to swing again. “You’re going to hurt yourself even more. That feeling like the scar tissue?”

 

“Tony doesn’t have time for me to nurse some scar tissue,” Gibbs growled. 

 

“He’s not breathing,” Delores yelled.

 

“There’s no pulse,” SecNav echoed. Moving to straddle Tony’s stomach, Secretary Porter started chest compressions while Palmer quickly checked Gibbs’ vitals. “We need you over here, Jimmy.” Secretary Porter was starting to sound panicked.

 

“Delores, I need you over here with Agent Gibbs.” Palmer quickly moved to Tony’s side. “Get on the phone, tell them what you know. Let them come at us from the other side. Gibbs, he’s going to need you on his side fighting for him not in a bed in ICU.” Palmer checked Tony’s vitals before injecting a medication that Gibbs didn’t even want to know. Two breaths were followed by another set of compressions and soon Palmer was switching with Secretary Porter.

 

“Go say something to him, Agent Gibbs.” Delores begged. “You’ve done a lot of screwing up lately; this you can make right.”

 

“Palmer,” Gibbs positioned himself to take Jimmy’s place. “Tony, you listen to me; I didn’t give you permission to die. I have a lot of things to tell you, DiNozzo. I can’t do that if you are dead. Damn it, Tony. Give me something!” Gibbs worked at compressions until the pain in his own chest was almost too much to tolerate. 

 

 

“Gibbs,” Palmer called softly. “Stop, he’s breathing and there is a pulse. We got him back; he’s alive, Agent Gibbs.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Gibbs?” Vance’s voice rang out from the other side of the door. “Listen, we found a way to get closer to you. We need to move some debris to get to you. Just hang on in there, we’re coming. Do you need anything right now?”

“Oxygen for Tony,” Palmer yelled out. “He went into cardiac arrest, we just got him back.”

 

“Dear God,” Ducky gasped as he handed over a portable tank. “We need to get that to Jimmy, post haste.”

“I’ll go,” Dr. Taft’s voice rang through the rubble. 

 

"I'll go too," Burley's voice carried from the darkness.

 

“I appreciate the offer, doctor. Those are my men in there; we don’t know what is holding this place up, if anything.” Vance looked around. “So far this portion is structurally sound, but we don’t know if we have any more surprises waiting for us.”

 

“You don’t,” Taft quipped quickly. “If I know anything from being around this team it is that Tony is a good agent. He would have done everything in his power to make sure those people, in that room, are safe. My patient is in there; I am going to guess because you yelled to him and Jimmy Palmer answered that something is wrong with him. He’s my friend, I am going in. Dr. Mallard, we may need a second tank depending on what I find; if we do I will be back for it. If by some chance, that whole speech I just gave you is wrong, tell my wife I love her.”

 

“I really cannot allow you to go in there,” Vance tried to stop Taft only to have the man push him aside. “Dr. Taft, I could have you arrested for interfering with a crime scene.”

 

“That’s fine,” Taft snarled. “Let me see if I can help save a few lives, then you can throw me behind bars.” Moving swiftly through the narrow path, Taft and Burley made it to the door relieved to see that Palmer had it opened while waiting for them. “Oxygen is here.” Sliding into the room, Cyril did a quick assessment of the patients inside. “Jesus; a chest tube.” Looking at Palmer’s work, Dr. Taft nodded in approval as he quickly checked Tony over. “He’s holding his own. Oxygen will help greatly. Gibbs, get over here on this desk. What happened?”

“He helped give CPR,” Palmer explained. “I had to pull him off; I may have hurt him.”

 

“Gibbs,” Taft called out to his patient. “Can you look at me? Does this feel like the last time with the scar tissue?”

 

“Yeah,” Gibbs groaned. “Happens a lot, give me a minute.” A true testament to the amount of pain he was in, Jethro allowed Dr. Taft to look him over. 

 

“Would you take a look at Secretary Porter? She was unconscious when we found her; her blood pressure keeps going lower.” Palmer explained as he watched Taft escort both Delores and SecNav to the desk. “They’ve both been amazing; just worried about them.” Palmer continued to monitor Tony’s vitals while Taft looked the ladies over.

 

“You’re a little shaky,” Taft said softly, trying not to startle his newest patient. “Let’s get you one of these blankets to keep you warm. Where did all of this stuff come from?”

 

“Tony and I went through all the cars that we could get to,” Palmer explained. “Took what we could find from floor mats to water bottles. He didn’t let me leave anything behind, said everything had a use, whether we knew right then or not.”

 

“He’s a damn fine agent,” Burley commented as he started looking around the room. He could tell that Tony needed out and the sooner the better. “Is this your handy work, Gibbs?” Pointing to the wall, Burley looked at the tire iron. “Let me see what I can do with this, give me a minute.” Crawling back out of the room, Stan returned with a fireman and two sledge hammers. Together, the two men were able to knock a hole in the wall large enough to get Tony through.

 

“Get that backboard in here,” Taft called. The ambulance was just on the other side of the wall thanks to Ducky’s influence. The elder man put the needs of his friends before his job; the hell with Vance and the way he wanted to do things. Getting Tony to the hospital was the top priority. “You go, lights and sirens and do not stop until you get to the hospital. There will be a team that meets you in the ambulance bay; I am calling in now.”

“Where’s the next gurney?” Palmer yelled towards Stan. “We need to get Secretary Porter looked at as soon as possible; she has a concussion at the least.” Stan escorted the next gurney into the room, supervising while they loaded SecNav onto it. “Go with her, Agent Burley. She needs a sharp agent with her; we don’t know why this happened. She could very well have been the target.”

 

“Delores, Gibbs and I will ride together in the last ambulance,” Palmer called out. “Make sure Dr. Mallard is going with Tony, I want Dr. Taft with him as soon as he gets to the hospital. He needs the top trauma doctors this area has ever seen. Let’s move!”

 

Gibbs followed Palmer closely, he had been watching this young man in action, but couldn’t shake the fact that he could possibly be hurt too. “Palmer?” Gibbs steadied Jimmy when he swayed. “Let’s get you looked over.” Turning towards the EMTs, Gibbs shouted. “You better get a gurney over here; I think he has injuries more severe than what we thought.”

 

“Gibbs,” Fornell ran through the rubble. “Come on, I will take you to get looked over. Let them work on Palmer; we need to get you to your boy.” Delores followed Gibbs closely; she needed to be with her friend when he got into a room. She knew Tony well enough to know he would try to sign himself out and leave the first chance he got.

 

The arrival at the hospital was a whirlwind of activity. Gibbs was checked over by an associate that Dr. Taft had sent in while he attended to Tony. Delores was looked over by an attending physician as she frantically tried to figure out where everyone else was.

 

“Please tell me, how are my friends?” Delores could feel the tears come in waves. 

 

“They are working on the young doctor that was in the room. The agent, Tony, I think they said his name was, he’s in surgery with severe injuries. The female that came in with her own personal agent, she’s been taken for some tests, then to a bed in ICU.” A nurse answered softly, she didn’t really want to give Delores too much information but she would give her enough to try to settle her a bit.

“I want to see Gibbs,” Delores wiped at her tears as the nurse helped her into a wheelchair and pushed her to where Gibbs was threatening everyone in a twelve foot radius. “They said Tony’s in surgery, Agent Gibbs. He risked his life for us, didn’t think twice about it.”

 

“I didn’t give him permission to do anything but fight,” Gibbs growled only to soften his tone when he heard Delores sob. “Listen, he thinks the world of you, Delores. If he will fight for anyone; it would be you.”

 

“Why would he do this?” Delores sighed. “He risked his life and now he is in surgery.”

 

“If he hadn’t,” Gibbs looked at the woman. “Would you be here to have this conversation with me?”

 

“No,” Delores shook her head. “We would have all died.”

 

“Tony doesn’t think of himself, contrary to popular belief,” Gibbs snorted at the irony of the statement. “DiNozzo probably thought about the mother, father and friends in that room and knew what he had to do without weighing any of the risks. He survived this far,” Gibbs stood and started pacing. “I need coffee.”

 

The hours passed and finally Drs. Pitt and Taft emerged from the operating room. “He’s still with us, but his injuries are extensive.” Brad said softly.

 

“We removed his spleen, part of his liver, a section of the intestines. Patched a hole in the lung and repaired some damage to his heart. He’s been through a great deal. The head injury is severe; they had to go in and relieve some of the intracranial pressure by putting in a temporary drain. That improved over the course of the surgery, but we are going to have to keep a very close eye on him. We’re moving him to recovery and then he’ll go to ICU.” Taft watched Gibbs process his words. “You need some rest, Gibbs. I’m going to get you admitted to a room not far from ICU so you can visit.”

 

“Gibbs,” McGee called as he ran through the doors. “Charlie Waterston has been arrested for the bombings. Vance has him in interrogation; he sent me to let you know and he wants all the clothing from everyone that was in the path of the bomb.”

 

“Did he say why?” Gibbs watched as Delores moved to grab a nurse to get a set of scrubs.

 

“He thinks he can tie it to the Jensen case, but he is looking for something,” McGee shrugged. “I was sent to collect evidence; he’s not telling me anything.” Turning to see Burley is coming through the double doors with an evidence bag. He took SecNav’s clothing before turning to Dr. Taft. “We need Tony’s clothing too.”

 

“Tony’s clothing was cut off of him in the room,” Delores explained. “Jimmy had to put in a chest tube, he cut off all his clothing to check for other injuries.”

 

“Okay,” Tim paled at the realization of exactly how horrible of an experience this was for everyone. “I need Palmer’s clothing. Where is he?”

 

“He’s dead,” a nurse called as she walked by the group.

 

“Jimmy Palmer?” Gibbs grabbed the woman’s arm. “You’re telling me that the young man in the bombing of a federal building, that single handedly saved all our lives is dead?”

 

“He’s not young,” Nurse Houser stated. “He’s well into his sixties. See right here, James Palmer, age sixty-four died from injuries sustained in a fall today.”

 

Brad moved the nurse off of the computer. “Jimmy is resting in the intermediate care area; room 306. I will take you there.”

 

 

“Duck?” Gibbs stepped into the room to see his old friend gently holding Palmer’s hand. 

 

“They had to sedate him,” Ducky explained. “He kept calling out for Tony, Delores and Secretary Porter. He kept trying to get out of this bed to go find them.”

 

“Agent Gibbs?” Palmer pushed through the fog. “I tried to save him; I swear I did.”

 

“He’s alive,” Gibbs reassured. “That’s good work, Palmer.”

 

“He figured it out,” Palmer sighed as he started to fade. “I could see it in his eyes; he figured out the connection between the bomb, Charlie and the case.” Palmer fell asleep only to startle awake. “Agent Gibbs? Promise me?”

 

“Promise you what?” Gibbs move to place a gentle hand on Palmer’s head. “What do you need, Jimmy?”

 

“Don’t give him permission,” Palmer paused. “Can’t die, unless living would be too hard. Promise me.”

 

“I promise,” Gibbs swallowed hard trying to get a handle on the pain and sorrow he was feeling. “I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Gibbs?” Tony’s voice called out as his hand reached blindly for his friend. “Boss!” 

 

Gibbs was able to grab Tony’s hand before he started thrashing around. “Why isn’t he sedated?” Putting his lips to Tony’s ear, Jethro did something that shocked Dr. Taft and Dr. Confalone; he whispered softly. “Right here, Tony. You rest, I’ve got your six.” Without conscious thought, he kissed the side of his injured friend’s head.

 

“What do you know?” Taft tried to recover. “The jackass has a sensitive side. You really should try showing that to Tony more often. Maybe if you were more bark and less bite, he would not be thinking about leaving NCIS and moving across country.”

 

“How do you know that?” Dr. Confalone walked into the ICU cubicle. “Dr. Taft?”

 

“I helped Gibbs and his team with a case; Tony and I sort of bonded and have been hanging out a bit. He misses his friend; you see Gibbs has been a total jerk since being shot. The team finds him very hard to deal with at times. They say the last four or five years have been bad, but it is much different since he almost died.”

 

“Gibbs? Do you want Tony to leave NCIS?” Dr. Confalone was teetering on the edge with Gibbs and she knew it but she needed to push a bit. “Looks like you need to do some thinking, Popeye. Maybe it is time that you let someone else in that very closed off world of yours.”

 

“Dr. Pitt will be coming to check him in an hour,” Taft stated gently. “We are going to switch off so we can get two hours of sleep at a time. If you need anything, the nurses can help or you can call me. My phone is on me; nursing can also get me.”

 

“You can do a bedside vigil from that chair,” Grace moved around the bed. “You are about to collapse from exhaustion. Sleep while he sleeps; you can figure things out after you have had some rest. I will bring you some coffee and breakfast in the morning.” Dr. Confalone gently lowered Gibbs into the reclining chair she had pushed by the bed. Covering him with a blanket, the doctor gently gave Gibbs’ hand a reassuring squeeze. “Maybe you’ll trust me with some of that pain soon, Popeye. Sleep; things look better with a clear head.”

 

“Speaking of pain,” Taft walked back into the cubicle. “I have something here to help you with yours. Small pinch and it should work rather quickly. You don’t have to go all John Wayne, bite the bullet tough. You put your body through a lot to help, Tony. It’s time you let us help you.”

 

“May I sit with them?” Delores walked closer to the side of the bed where Gibbs was resting. “I won’t disturb them; I just need to be close for a while. I want to watch his heart beat.”

 

“Are you okay?” Dr. Confalone placed a supportive hand on Delores’ back. “Do you need to talk? Woman to woman? I can put the doctor on a shelf somewhere; she doesn’t always have to come out and play.”

 

“I’m okay,” Delores wiped at her tears as she gently took Tony’s hand in her own. “Oh, you stupid, stupid man.”

 

Grace took two steps back, she wanted to watch without intruding. She marveled at how the heavily drugged man reached blindly for Gibbs’ hand. His eyes opening to slits at the sound of Delores’ voice.

 

“Hey,” Tony’s voice sounded full of pain. “No tears.”

 

“Tony!” Delores gasped. “Don’t try to talk; I just want to watch you for a while.”

 

“You’re creeping me out, Bromstead.” Tony giggled; the drugs were really good drugs.

 

“Sleep,” Delores whispered as she leaned down and kissed Tony’s cheek. 

 

“Come with me,” Dr. Confalone eased Delores off the bed. “Let’s get you a shower, change of clothes and some food. You need a little TLC; you’ve been through a lot.”

 

“Doc?” Gibbs whispered so he didn’t disturb Tony. “She’s special to my team; take good care of her.”

 

“You hear that? I have official orders to look after you. My name is Grace,” there was a soft smile that crossed the psychiatrist’s lips. “I love the color of your hair. I would pay a lot of money for that color.”

 

“She’s good,” Tony whispered. 

 

“Yeah,” Gibbs smirked. “Got one over on me a couple times.”

 

“You should talk to her,” Tony turned his head slowly. “I worry about you.”

 

“I’d rather talk to you,” Gibbs sighed. “When you are stronger, I want to take you to my dad’s fishing cabin. Haven’t been there since the summer before he died.”

 

“I really miss him,” Tony whispered as a tear escaped his eye. 

 

“Hey,” Secretary Porter whispered as Megan wheeled her to Tony’s side. “I’m going to send Megan out for some real food and drink. Any requests? Keep it liquid, Tony. I already asked your doctor.”

 

“Strawberry Milkshake,” Tony licked his lips. “My throat really hurts.”

 

“Coffee,” Gibbs grunted.

 

“I’ll take a milkshake too,” Secretary Porter smiled at her daughter. “Bring Agent Gibbs something from the deli; he won’t care from what Agent McGee has told me. I would like some soup.” Placing a gentle hand on Tony’s leg, the grateful woman smiled at her hero. “Bring Tony some soup too; we can ask the nurse to put it in the fridge if he doesn’t want it.”

 

“Okay,” Megan kissed her mom’s cheek. “Are you okay here until I get back? I will stop and see if Jimmy wants anything and if he is able to come visit yet.”

 

“Sleep Gibbs,” SecNav took the older man’s hand. “I’ll watch over him for a while.”

 

Gibbs slept under the influence of the medication that Taft had pumped into his system. If he had not trusted Secretary Porter the way he did, he would have never given in.

 

“How is everyone doing?” Breena questioned as she pushed Jimmy into the cubicle. “They said we could come in if we didn’t disturb their rest. Dr. Pitt said Tony has tried to get out of bed a few times to find everyone.” 

 

“Everyone is comfortable,” SecNav smiled. “We’re alive; we got out thanks to Tony, Jimmy, Gibbs, Agent Burley and Dr. Taft.”

 

“We survived because of Tony,” Palmer smiled as he pulled himself up to the side of the bed and took Tony’s hand in his own. “You are my hero, Anthony DiNozzo.”

 

“You are mine,” Tony whispered as he squeezed Palmer’s hand.

 

It took the better part of a month before the doctors would allow Tony to travel beyond the city limits. He had found that companionship was not in short supply while he was home. Gibbs stayed with him for days on end; his father had returned to D.C. a few days priors to Tony’s hospital release.

 

“He’s looking much better,” Senior smiled as he put the last of Tony’s bags in the back of Gibbs’ truck. “You take good care of him; I am a phone call away if you need anything.”

 

“There is a box inside that bag on the floorboard,” Gibbs stated softly about a mile out of town. “Open it.”

 

“It’s rules,” Tony pulled the papers out one by one. “This isn’t your handwriting, Boss.”

 

“It’s Shannon’s. We were sitting at the train station, both leaving Stillwater. She looked at me and said that it was either rule number one or number three, never date a lumber jack.” Gibbs laughed at the memory.

 

“What did you say?” Tony laughed.

 

“I asked her if she had a rule for everything; she said everyone needed a code to live by.” Gibbs looked out the side window trying to stop the tears. Twenty minutes later, Gibbs pulled into the cemetery and stopped the truck.

 

Helping Tony out, his body still a bit sore; Jethro walked Tony to the graves of his wife and daughter. “You made the fence that goes around it,” Tony admired the workmanship. “It’s beautiful. Their headstones are amazing, Boss. Did you help with them?”

 

Gibbs nodded; his emotions were almost to the point of getting the better of him. Pulling two pictures from his pocket, he handed them to Tony before starting back towards the truck. “That was my life, Tony. Everything that mattered to me, you are holding in your hands.”

 

“I wish I could take your pain away,” Tony said softly as he gazed at the beautiful family in the pictures. 

 

“You have,” it was barely a whisper, but Tony heard the words. “We have about an hour on the road; you need one of your pain pills?”

 

“One of the mild ones,” Tony nodded. “Still hurting a bit; didn’t realize getting your chest cracked open could hurt this much. I’m looking forward to the fresh air and the water. Can’t wait to nap in one of the chairs on the back porch.”

 

“You’re going to get plenty of rest,” Gibbs grumbled. “I have all your medications in my bag. Ducky said he will bring your refills when we call him.” Tucking a blanket around Tony, Gibbs placed a pillow in his lap for when he locked and closed the door. “Try to sleep.”

 

Sleep came quickly as the fresh air filtered through the cab of the truck through the open window. It was a dreamless sleep; Tony felt light, almost like he was floating on a cloud.

 

“Tony,” Gibbs shook his agent gently. “We’re here.”

 

The cabin was occupied when they entered. Gibbs watches his friend’s face as he realized exactly what was going on. 

 

“Surprise,” Jimmy and Delores called as they met their friend in the middle of the room. “Come in, we have dinner almost ready. Secretary Porter is a wonderful cook and she can bake.” Delores chattered away.

 

“It smells delicious, Sarah.” Tony kissed the side of the SecNav’s face in appreciation. “Megan here too?”

 

“No, we wanted it to just be us.” Palmer interjected. “We survived together because of you, Tony. Words aren’t enough to convey my gratitude. My daughter still has her father because of you.”

 

Dinner was delicious; everyone ate until they were too full to move. “If you ever want out of running the Navy, we could open up a restaurant.” Tony laughed. “That was amazing, thank you so much.”

 

Music filled the living room and soon Tony found himself looking into the eyes of a smiling Delores. “May I have this dance?” Gently, they danced around the living room without a care in the world. Delores felt like Cinderella at the ball; she glowed. The love that radiated from Tony’s eyes filled her with hope. “You have saved me over and over again. Who knew that a Secret Santa gift exchange would bring me such a great friendship.”

 

“Who knew that a Secret Santa gift exchange would give me a best friend,” Tony leaned over and kissed his friend’s cheek.

 

“May I cut in?” Gibbs questioned softly. “May I have this dance?”

 

“Come sit down,” SecNav brought Tony a glass of cold juice. “You are one heck of a man, Tony. You saved our lives, but beyond that you have been a great friend. Do you know that you are the first and only person to ask me to put Secretary Porter away and just be Sarah?”

 

“That armor looks a bit heavy,” Tony whispered. “You are a good friend; I enjoyed spending these last three weeks getting to know you.”

 

“Even if I kick your butt at every board game we have played?” Sarah laughed.

 

“Even then,” Tony laughed. “I have enjoyed your visits and Megan’s too. She’s going to be one amazing woman. No matter what she does, she is going to do it well. You have raised one magnificent young woman.”

 

“Dr. Confalone seems to have done some good in three weeks of working with both of them.” SecNav sighed as she took Tony’s empty glass. “I’ll get you some pie and ice cream.”

 

“Hey,” Palmer took SecNav’s seat. “How are you holding up?”

 

“I’m okay,” Tony smiled. “We’re okay, too. He’s starting to open up a little bit at a time. He took me to the cemetery. Gibbs is a good man; he’s just battered more than anyone can fathom.”

 

“Except you,” Palmer squeezed Tony’s hand. “I’m going to go cut in, give his knee a break.”

 

“Did he ever say why he did it?” Tony questioned Gibbs as he sat down.

 

“Charlie wanted to marry the bride of Jansen’s best friend. He thought that he was blowing up his car. He had overheard Jansen, making plans to meet with his friend in the parking garage at the hospital; he tried everything in his power to stop the wedding.”

 

“And NCIS?” Tony looked at Gibbs.

 

“You got too close; he knew what case you were working on. He tried to stop you from finding out. He went on to marry the woman of his dreams a year after the bombing. You were close to taking everything away from him.” Gibbs took a piece of pie with ice cream from SecNav and handed the other to Tony.

 

“He killed himself, Tony.” Sarah said softly. “He knew what he was facing; his lawyer laid it out for him. Charlie took the job at NCIS to try to find and destroy the file; you saved lives Tony.”

 

“Tony,” Gibbs gently rubbed Tony’s back. “I am proud of you; been proud of you for years. You are my family; like a son to me.”

 

“Why have you been so distant since my father moved to town?” The question was out before Tony had time to process what he said.

 

“I didn’t want to stand in your way,” Gibbs shrugged. “I was jealous that you have this time with your dad. It was like losing a child all over again; I tried to protect my heart from the pain but that doesn’t work. I miss you too.”

 

“Well,” Tony smiled at Gibbs. “My father invited me to New York with him this weekend, but I chose you. I wanted time with you. You have been a role model, a father figure for seventeen years. At the low points in my life, your door is always open.”

 

“And no matter where you are; it always will be.” Gibbs sighed as a wave of contentment washed over him. “For you, Tony. It always will be.”

 

 

Thank you Sarah for the plot bunny! Jacquie, I hope I put in enough Confalone and Taft for you. <3 This was fun!! On to the next journey!!


End file.
